How To Wire and Install an Outlet

By Timothy Thiele, About.com Guide

In order to make proper electrical connections to an outlet, you first must strip the appropriate amount of wire insulation from the wires. To do this, use wire strippers by selecting the proper sized wire size on the stripper gauge. If you're stripping NM 12-2 wire, then you'll use the #12 wire setting. Place the stripper over the wire at about 3/4" from the end of the wire. That will usually give you enough wire to make the connection.